


Dan and Phil AU

by indecisivemess



Category: Original Work, Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Ace character makes sexual jokes, Alternate Universe, Alters, Asexual Character, Bilingual Character(s), Birthday Fluff, Birthday Presents, Canon Non-Binary Character, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Dysphoria, Extremelly self indulging, Filming, First Dates, Idk man my mind is messed up, Its me im the ace character, Its similar to DID, OSDD-1B, Other, Polyamorous Character, Polyamorous relatioship, Queerplatonic Relationships, References to Depression, well actually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22563211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indecisivemess/pseuds/indecisivemess
Summary: You know Phil's most recent vid? Yea, idk, I forgot his bday was so close to mine, and while i was baking my own birthday cake I had this very vivid idea, so Im blessing the world with cringe of my own making. Enjoy.(To be more specific, I compared myself to phil and dan to my partner. I do not intent to offend anyone or imply anything about their relationship. Im just being silly and having fun, and facing my issues in a creative manner. If i do any of those things please tell me.)
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester/Original Character(s), tecnically??
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ashdh, if anyone cares, Ill leave sources about osdd so you guys dont get confused about my alters:
> 
> ->https://this-is-not-dissociative.tumblr.com/post/128799822502/what-is-the-diagnosing-criteria-for-osdd-1b-i  
> ->http://did-research.org/comorbid/dd/osdd_udd/did_osdd.html

This was going to be a disaster. Jo didn’t even know what to do, really. Izaac was out, taking care of something she had already forgotten what it was, so she was practically home alone, minus the cats and her sister, which had come to visit. But she was more interested in chasing after the cats, so it was like she didn’t count either.

Well, as long as she didn’t burn the kitchen, Iza probably wouldn’t mind suddenly having a cake shoved in his face when he got back. Probably. Besides, she was already filming this a couple of days before her birthday in anticipation for the worst. The balloons she was gluing to the cupboards definitely were the thing that was gonna ruin the whole video.

Jo glared at them suspiciously one last time, jumping off the counter after sticking the last one in place. Almost all done. Just go grab the camera, and the light, and the mic. And maybe brush her hair. She whined as she left the kitchen, running to her bedroom to get things done as fast as she could.

Some bumping around and a couple of trips back and forth, everything that needed to be moved was set in place, her laptop left running some programs as she quickly skipped back to her room one last time. Her mind felt fuzzy as she scanned over what to wear for the video, a very intense and sudden need to pick up her new dress and just put it on appearing out of thin air. It wasn’t like she didn’t like it, she had bought it after all, but this kind of clothing wasn’t something she used much in front of cameras.

Nonetheless, that foreign excitement just wouldn’t go away, her head light and full of cotton as she changed, any anxiety that might have been left drowning as Amelia snatched up the front. She truly didn’t have any bad intentions, but no one else was around now, and she had been practicing, so why not try to make Jo look just a bit more pretty for her special day?

The little bag of makeup Iza had helped her buy was out in seconds, and her hands shook from happiness as she gathered everything she needed, their face looking back at her in the mirror when she moved close enough to see.

Next thing Jo remembers with enough clarity was watching Amelia apply a good amount of blush to their plump cheeks, silently staring at themselves in the mirror, as if waiting for approval. And honestly, it didn’t look too bad. The makeup felt weird on her skin, but the alter had been mindful of their sensory problems, keeping everything as light as she could, but just enough to be noticeable.

To anyone else watching the body, it would be weird how she had smiled to herself and nodded, before the brushes were gently dabbing and drawing on their pale skin, but hopefully Amelia had closed the door. Only after a while did Jo realize the woman was offering to share the front, her delicate gestures and open kindness almost whispering to her that she could come closer and watch as the alter taught her how to handle the mostly pink pallets scattered everywhere.

It was warm, as she figurative approached her. Jo was aware she couldn’t speak, like a hand was lightly squeezing at the bottom of her throat, but it was okay. Amelia was selectively mute, but she was still very much comforting, like the mother she had always wish she had. Maybe that’s why she had split.

Neither of them really knew how much time had passed. Jo’s phone was nearby, but her glasses were temporarily out so Amelia could take care of the mascara, so it would have been pointless, anyways. But once they were back on, oh my. There was a tug at their chest, almost painful, and Jo worried their heart was acting up again until she noticed their teary eyes, and how hard Amelia was fidgeting to not smudge their makeup. It was adorable, how happy she was with how it had turned out. Or what Jo hoped was a happy reaction.

Her body quickly felt like her own after that. Where she felt like she had been floating before, now she realized everything felt more compact, like some invisible force had tugged her back in place after hanging in the air for so long. Her throat didn’t feel like it was closed up anymore either, and she coughed up a bit before getting up, smoothing the skirt of her new flowery dress. In front of her full length mirror, it was almost like she was actually a girl, with all these soft colors and comfy fabrics. She quickly pushed that thought aside, mentally thanking Amelia for helping her out as she made her way back to the kitchen. Even if the other wasn’t saying anything, she could still feel her presence, like she was hanging out just over her shoulder, and Jo chuckled as she remembered what the video she was about to make was about.

Gathering the ingredients and angling the camera just right was done almost automatically, the tiny red light blinking contently as she smiled at the object. Just fall head first, everything will be alright.

\- Hey guys! – she said to the tripod, trying to be welcoming. – So, depending of when I get to upload this, it will prolly be out on the day of my birthday, so happy birthday to me!

She made tiny jazz hands to the camera and giggled.

\- But anyways. I just realized this is gonna be the first time filming a baking video without Izaac around, and he’s not home either, so let’s hope I don’t burn down the kitchen.

It had been a simple joke, and a very likely scenario too, but suddenly, her head felt light again, her eyes out of focus, and for some reason, Ruth and Amelia were fighting for control. That had never happened before, the shy alter preferring to keep to herself if she could avoid facing Ruth’s wrath. Jo wasn’t sure for how long that lasted, but once she finally managed to hold the front back, she could feel the beginning of a headache forming just behind her forehead. Note to self, no self-deprecating jokes for today.

When she finally glanced back at the camera, she decided to quickly explain what was going to happen, focusing on keeping her smile in place as she pointed to the ingredients and tried not to get nervous about messing it up. Her first idea was to try to bake a cake without following the recipe, but damnit, she wanted to eat a good cake and maybe not poison the whole house, so that was promptly scratched as she settled for just baking a normal cake, like a normal person.

Although, Jo rapidly realized, she always did this particular recipe with her sister around. She had already made a mess, while trying to put some water on a pot for the bain-marie, and half of the eggs still needed to be separated; there was no way she could do this alone. Frantically looking at the main camera, holding onto the tiny one she had strapped around her head, she rapidly left the kitchen, looking for Beatrice.

Little did she know, she was already outside, in the corridor, having just come out of the bathroom, and was very clearly judging her by the way she looked her up and down. From the kitchen, her microphone picked up their convo, or rather, the echoes of it, and later during editing, Jo knew would almost cry for choosing to not have hit pause on the camera, but it was too late now. And it was an opportunity to show her haters that she wasn’t faking her nationality, so screw it.

\- _You don’t even have to be facing the camera, I’ll blur your face if it shows up or something_ – she said in fluent Portuguese, quietly hoping the water she had left on the stove hadn’t spilled over. – _I’m making that cake you really like._

\- _Ah, fine._ – Beatrice rolled her eyes, following her into the kitchen, still in her pajamas and everything. – _But I’m testing the chocolate._

\- _Yea, same_ – Jo giggled, facing the camera after telling her what to do. – So! I didn’t want to make a bigger mess, so my sister is around now. She doesn’t speak much English, but I’ll try to add subtitles after this so you guys can get what’s happening.

\- Desde que não fales mal de mim, é na boa – Beatrice mumbled, her back facing the camera. – Eu não sou completamente idiota.

Jo got slightly worried at her tone of voice until her sister’s giggles echoed around the kitchen, and then she found herself gently pushing her, playfully smiling at her.

However, she slightly regretted her decisions now. The cake was going fine, I mean, as fine as it could go when they had almost spilled boiling water everywhere when the chocolate had melted, and then the incidents with the floor, but all in all, the cake was in the oven, all the curses she had spitted out were in Portuguese, and the extra pair of hands might have been worth all the future editing.

She could already picture the comments trying to imply that they were both faking to be that clumsy, but the chaotic energy was something that just sprouted naturally once they were both in the same room.

Half an hour later, the pair was walking back to the room, the oven’s timer ringing in Jo’s ears like a glass shattering siren. Just behind her, Beatrice was trying to very discreetly slip the bowl from where she had been licking the batter into the sink, but Jo was definitely keeping that in the video, just noticing she hadn’t paused her camera when they stepped back into the room. Timer silenced and gloves in hand, they managed to take the cake out of the oven safely and left their baby to cool, and this time, Jo remembered to pause the camera.

Just as she was about to press the button, Izaac came into view, and her eyes couldn’t help but notice the movement right out of her field of vision, the blush easily slipping into her cheeks as she smiled. She hadn’t even heard him coming up.

\- Hey – she greeted, suddenly very self-conscious of her appearance.

\- H-Hi – he stuttered back, looking more than stunned. – What are you doing?

The wording had been a bit weird, but Jo got what he meant, smoothing out the few remaining stains of flour that clang to her dress, a good enough excuse to burn out the need to fidget from nervousness.

\- I was recording. Baking a cake for my b-day.

Izaac nodded in understanding, and intentionally or not, his mismatched eyes kept looking her up and down, fixating on the adorable flowers of her dress. The fabric seemed very pleasant to the touch, and he just wanted to go there and feel it. The fact that there was a cake around just a few steps away from him completely flew over his head, even if the kitchen was enveloped with the sweet scent of chocolate.

\- M-My eyes are up here – Jo commented, the scrutiny with which he was analyzing her making her skin crawl.

Her voice seemed to snap him out of his trance, and he immediately seemed regretful of his actions, his shoulders hunching forward. She was mad, he had already messed it up and he had just got home.

\- Ah, no – the woman bit her lip and took a careful step closer, wrecking her brain to figure out another reason as to why he could be looking at her like that. – You liked my dress?

He gave her a silent reply, directing a weak nod on her way, and then his hand was reaching towards her, his fingers holding onto the loose fabric of her puffy sleeves.

\- This one is new.

Jo was hoping for more clarification than that, but still accepted the answer anyways, spreading out her arms and smiling warmly at the way Izaac immediately found comfort in the embrace. He was so cute.

\- I can let you take it off me, if you’d like – she playfully suggested, lacing her voice with that sweet tone of hers that always made her partner blush.

And just as she peeked down to confirm it, she burst into a fit of giggles, Izaac’s red cheeks quickly puffing out in shame.

\- Okay okay, I’m sorry- I just had to.

The soft kiss that she pressed to the top of his head tamed part of his burning cheeks, but he still looked very pouty.

\- It’s okay.

Jo acknowledged his reply even if she didn’t say anything right away, just basking in the comfort that bloomed from their hug. His tiny arms gave the best hugs. Still not fully recharged, she slowly took a step away from him, and Izaac did his best to not whine at the lost of contact.

\- What you got there? – she mentioned, pointing at the bags that he had set down at the doorway.

This time he actually squeaked, urgently running to his belongings and grabbing them with an iron fist.

\- Nothing! Just cosplay stuff.

He scrunched up his nose before looking away, his hands uneasy and clearly energetic for something more other than just holding the bags, and Jo didn’t even need to be good at spotting lies to notice that he wasn’t comfortable. So she did the next best thing and went with it.

\- Oh, cool – she smiled, playing with the ends of her sleeves. – Please show me if you decide to cosplay today.

She could tell she had nailed her tone when Izaac excitedly nodded and rapidly flew all the way to his room, the sounds of his footsteps getting weaker the further he walked from her. Turning back to her camera, she sighed, a heavy feeling lodging itself just between her ribcage. Everyone had their secrets. It’s not annoying to respect Izaac’s privacy.

She kept repeating that to herself as she cleaned the kitchen, but somehow, the distraction was only making her more aware of the burn between her bones, of the raw curiosity and pain that he had lied to her. In a moment of pure desperation, she grabbed at her hair tight and almost tugged, the voices in her head that told her that she wasn’t good enough and that she was going to mess it up again getting louder by the second.

Before things spiraled out of control, however, she managed to force a deep breath in, slowly breathing out. “C’mon, you’re better than this”, she thought to herself, wanting to rub her face, but remembering last second of the make up on her skin and just letting her hands flop defeatedly back to her sides.

Izaac was rapidly approaching the kitchen again, and Jo literally jumped once she was aware she was graced with his presence, not have heard him come in. Holding onto the fabric of her clothes over her heart, she looked back at her partner with wide eyes, focusing on masking her expression as he strode right in, smiling in that cute way of his.

\- You’re still gonna film?

Ruth’s immediate response echoed in her mind and Jo tried her best to ignore the salty voice as she shook her head, grabbing at her tripod before she remembered she could still need to film something later, breathing in and out to calm down her pounding heart.

\- Nah, got everything I need for now. We need to let the cake cool down first.

She still held onto her camera, making sure it was turned off before clicking on the card slot and watching the tiny thing plop into sight.

\- Was thinking I could do some editing in the meantime. My sister and I spoke a lot of portuguese and I need to get the subtitles right.

When she stared back at Izaac, he was looking at her with a mixture of disappointment and curiosity, and Jo couldn’t help the snort that escaped her.

\- What? You can still cuddle me while I do that.

Some of the tension in his eyes disappeared, and she was almost proud that she knew her partner that well.

\- ‘s not that. – he began, his hands slightly curled as he softly bumped his own wrists against each other. – I was gonna ask if I could hear it. The uhm, Portuguese bits.

Jo frowned and walked closer to him, holding onto the memory card for dear life.

\- I mean, I have nothing against it. But you’re not gonna get anything of what we’re saying.

There was a soft whine and then Izaac was clinging to her arm, very subtly trying to tug her in the direction of her room.

\- I know, but I still wanna hear it.

The brunette didn’t say anything else, just letting him guide her to her own room until she remembered halfway there that she had left her laptop in the kitchen, sighing heavily and quickly walking back to retrieve it. Once she came back, Izaac was already sprawled on her bed, a dazed expression on his eyes, like a cat after getting just a bit of catnip.

\- You good there? – she giggled as she stepped closer to the bed, making sure her skirt covered her lower parts as she sat down next to him.

His eyes followed her every move, his cheeks dusted pink, and for a second she wondered if her skirt was _that_ short.

\- Y-Yea, just – he moved to his side, his gaze fixated on her figure. – Your room is nice.

Conscious of it or not, his head was slowly approaching her, eyes closed comfortably, and Jo giggled as she tried to relax, gently petting his freshly dyed hair.

\- You know you can pass by whenever you want, baby.

The nickname had him opening his eyes and staring at her, very clearly excited about the offer. His body language was more subtle about his emotions, but Jo prouded herself on being pretty good about analyzing his expressions.

\- I know, but ‘m shy.

She laughed without any ill intentions, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. He was being so soft today. Their fans wouldn’t even dare imagine that he got like this when it was just the two of them.

Since she had been the one to offer cuddles, she made sure the other could nuzzle into her, holding down her skirt as she lied down more, propping her back up with a pillow. Just as she settled to work, waiting for her laptop to read the memory card, Izaac’s body clang to hers in a perfect stealth attack, his face buried in her stomach. His dyed hair contrasted sharply with the colors of her dress, his stripe covered arms very much different from the soft flowers that adorned her for today, and she laughed only from the irony of it, from how different they were, and somehow still made it work.

She moved one of her hands to play with his hair, watching the blonde roots warmly as he hummed happily to the ministrations, and her heart almost hurt from how much she loved this man.

\- Wanna hear me curse in Portuguese?

His face immediately came into view, looking up at her with that mischievous glint in his eyes, nodding frantically. Her stomach missed the warm pressure against it, but she’d survive.

\- Yes, please.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a warning, all the presents are references to all the things phil actually got for his actual birthday, or at least what i remembered he got from what he mentioned in his live stream. With a few slight changes here and there. He uploaded it on his second channel, if anyone is interested in that.

After laughing their asses off at a particularly hilarious string of curses, which Jo had promptly tried to translate in the middle of her giggles, the brunette thought it would be best if she went to check if the cake had cooled down, much to Izaac’s displeasure. Still very impatient, he agreed to let her go under the condition that she’d bring him the bowl where the second part of the cake was stored, and she was set free after a few bribing kisses to his cheeks.

Honestly, as much as Jo liked this cake, it was always a mess to make, simply from how many steps she had to go through. Chocolate mousse cake was amazing, but considering she had four different bowls to watch, plus the way the brown mixture that was supposed to be the mousse just got everywhere was truly a sticky situation.

Quickly popping their baby on the fridge to set, she skipped back to her room to give Iza his little prize, watching his eyes progressively shining brighter as he tasted a bit out of a spoon.

\- Just don’t get it on the sheets, alright? – Jo giggled as she sat back on the bed, picking her laptop back up.

\- Yeeeees – the other dragged out, the corners of his mouth already covered in chocolate somehow.

Thankfully, he sat up and quietly enjoyed his treat, barely noticing how fast Jo had gone back to focus on working on the subtitles. Her brain had clang so hard to the task at hand that she didn’t even realize Iza had left the room to put the bowl to wash, and popped up again to receive more cuddles. Only once he was touching her again did her instincts kicked in, jumping off the bed and quickly looking down in a panic before realizing it was just him, staring at her with innocent eyes.

\- Sorry, dear – she quickly reached down, petting his hair gently. – Got in too deep.

Iza quickly shook his head, sitting up but keeping close to her so she could still pet him. 

\- It’s oki. Maybe I should leave now?

Jo’s hand stilled and slowly peeled her eyes off the screen, looking conflicted. On one hand, she wanted him close, but on the other, she was aware she wouldn’t get much done if he sticked around, and the hours were ticking, the anxiety bubbling viciously in her chest. She hated her brain so much.

\- I mean... maybe. This one is gonna be harder to edit than the others. And I have a feeling you prolly wanna go try on the cosplay things you bought today, yea?

A flash of something crossed Izaac’s eyes, and he looked away, nodding in understanding.

\- Maybe – he giggled weakly, shifting around on the bed to get closer.

Her body yelled in protest, suddenly so sensitive, the red flags ringing in her mind, but Iza simply pressed a soft kiss on her cheek, patting her shoulder. The regret was quickly building inside of her stomach but she kept it down, watching him hop off the bed, and even with him still standing there, she already felt lonely.

\- See you at dinner!

\- Y-Yea.

Her smile was strained, quietly seeing him leave, and the tension slowly melted off her muscles, a sigh pushing through. The program where she had been editing the video wasn’t collaborating with her, plus the messy, fragmented notes she had been collecting on a document side by side with it made absolutely no sense. Everything around her seemed to go just a bit grey, an unknown lethargy hanging heavy on her shoulders.

In a desperate moment to push that disgusting feeling away, she threw her laptop onto the bed, jumping out and rapidly going to the bathroom to wipe off her makeup. As soon as it was out, the once white wipes now stained in a weird light brown color, something crawled up her chest, clawing at her heart. This wasn’t right. No part of the person staring back at her felt right.

Something close to panic rose up her throat, but she promptly pushed it down, ignoring her own stare in the mirror as she impulsively put her long hair into a bun, relaxing at the sight of her neutral features. That was better. Jo rapidly realized her dress was also bothering her, her chest very prominent even through the loose fabric, so she moved to shed of that as well, closing her room’s door on the way in as she changed into some pajamas.

The fluffy material against her skin felt absolutely heavenly, and her makeup free face was much more comforting than any other option she could pick. Moving to lounge on her bed, throwing her laptop back over her hips, she almost felt excited to go back to translating things, ignoring how her chest lumped her shirt up.

The hours passed. Jo got pretty far away with the editing, compared to what she had assumed would take her, and got out of her room just in time for dinner, turning her mind off work and enjoying the time with her sister and her partner. The cats trailed after her feet, Nova sticking around for a second longer before following after Luna, and both joined them to eat as well.

After dinner, they all gathered in the living room, just letting a random movie play as they settled into their seats. Iza only seemed to notice her bun once Jo sat down in her little corner of the couch, hugging a pillow to her chest, and instinct tugged him in her direction, gently wrapping his arms around her as he cuddled into her. The brunette didn’t let go of her pillow, even with a much better option to hug, but she did acknowledge his touches, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head.

The days passed. Editing was a nightmare with such a strong deadline, but Jo somehow managed to do it, and as soon as it was done, all she wanted to do was curl up in her bed and hide in the darkness to recharge after that all-nighter. However, the universe seemed to hate her as Iza kicked her door open, the distinct sound of the knob hitting the wall much louder than usual in the quiet house, making both of them wince. Jo sluggishly moved to stare back at whoever had decided that invading her room at 10 pm was a good idea, but before her tired eyes could take in anything, Izaac was jumping on top of her, clinging to her figure through the covers.

\- Happy day of coming into existence! – he screeched a bit too loudly before the other could even process his touches, so she resourced to quiet whining, lazily trying to shake him off.

He didn’t let go, however, lost in giggles, and his shaking body eased her sour mood just a bit.

\- What are you doing in my room? – she manage to slur out, trying to lay on her back to stare at him in the darkness.

\- Wha? – he mumbled, a bit concerned. – It’s your bday, r’menber?

Jo stayed quiet for a few seconds, blinking and checking the time on her alarm clock before her brain cells clashed, sparking out a thought.

\- Oh yea – she chuckled at her own stupidity, moving her arms from under the covers to trap Izaac in a hug.

The younger didn’t complain, feeling her every move from the shifts of the sheets, and simply relaxed into the comfort, almost purring. He knew she didn’t particularly enjoy this day, for reasons the other never really told him, but that was alright. He could still try to make her happy, no matter what it took.

\- Came here to give me my present? – her tone of voice was weird, slightly husky, but Iza convinced himself it was from the tiredness, putting effort into keeping his thoughts pure.

\- Maybe – he offered, shifting around, suddenly so very aware that he was on top of Jo, even with the layers separating their bodies.

There was a quiet huff, and then the brunette tightened the hug just so, rubbing one of her hands down his back, her heart burning in that unpleasant way at hearing him gasp. It was fine, she was in control here. Can stop it at any moment.

\- Sneaked out while my sister was still sleeping. Such a naughty boy.

Her voice was doing things to him. He couldn’t tell if this was just teasing like usual or an actual step towards, _something_ , but as sure as hell he didn’t know how to react, doing his absolute best to not make any inappropriate noises.

\- I-I’m not-

\- Yes, I know – her tone was back to soft, her body rigid. – I’m sorry.

Something wasn’t right. That had been a pretty quick change of ideas, even for her. And she was supposed to be happy right now, not... resentful or whatever was happening.

\- Hey, it’s okay, I promise. My gift is _way_ better than sex.

That actually made the other snort, and the air of apparent calm made him relax again, very gently moving to sit by her side, but never letting her hands retreat away from him. He hoped the space made her more at ease.

\- Who said anything about sex? – Jo’s mischievous eyes were glinting as she looked at him, sitting up too, and his throat went dry.

\- Anyways! – he pressed, instead of whining like the bottom he was. – My present is in the kitchen. Let’s go eat together.

It was a very well known fact that Jo couldn’t stomach breakfast. It usually made her sick for the rest of the day, if it didn’t actually push her to throw it up, like it has happened before. Izaac should know of that fact. He had witnessed it in the past, the tears, the shaking-

He must have noticed the quiet, or the lack of an answer, and gently untangled from her, slipping off the bed. The panic quickly rose up her throat, and she desperately wanted to call out for him, already reaching out in his direction, but he surprised her by pulling the covers away from her, the distinct difference of temperature making her shiver and freezing her in place.

\- It’s more like brunch. – he said quietly, his hands ready to reach out if she did anything at all. – Your coffee is gonna get cold.

That hitched up her hopes, her head moving up to look at him in shock.

\- You made me coffee? – the words escaped her before she could even realize she was saying them.

\- Yea. I’m a gentleman like that.

\- With milk-

\- Yea, with milk and two sugars – he giggled adorably, flailing his arms around. – I’m your number one fan. That’s like, basic level stuff.

Jo hid her face in her hands, not knowing how else to react. Her legs slipped from under the covers, moving to hang on the side of the bed, and then her body was moving up and forward, her shy gaze centering on Izaac as she held his face and kissed him gently. There was a surprised noise, and she kept her touch as light as she could so he could step away, but he didn’t, returning her affections. It was ridiculous, feeling so warm and wanted from such a simple gesture, but she pushed those thoughts down, slowly pulling away. Iza looked somewhat disappointed, tugging her close again with the arms she hadn’t noticed had gone around her, and her skin itched, waiting for his next move.

She wasn’t sure if he noticed her anxiety or not, but he didn’t do anything else, softly dropping his head on her chest.

\- Your breath stinks.

She snorted, some of her nervousness slipping away, and her hands moved to his hips on instinct, gently rocking them from side to side.

\- Yea, two hours of sleep will do that to you.

He rapidly moved his head to look at her, the upset gaze already set and ready to fire, but she quickly shut him up, pressing a light peck to his lips.

\- I had to edit, alright – her voice didn’t sound particularly mad, but Iza still worried as she let go of him, following after her like a puppy.

\- But, sleep.

Jo didn’t turn around to face him, but her posture did seem less tense, hissing as the bathroom lights shone down on her sore eyes.

\- I’ll take a nap later, maybe – she put her hair up in a ponytail, leaning over the sink and quickly washing her face, some energy returning to her at the sensation of the cold water. – When you go have your depression nap.

Izaac peeked at her, a nervous energy making him play with the ends of his sleeves.

\- So, uhm, no depression nap today.

The brunette frowned at him, cleaning her face on a towel and carefully stepping closer.

\- You busy today?

\- Yea, you can say that – something urged him forward, and then he was gripping at the end of her shirt, gently tugging on it.

Jo kept her eyebrows knitted together, but didn’t try to pry further, just following him to the kitchen, the distinct scent of coffee making her shoulders unwind as soon as she stepped inside. Looking around, she noticed everything seemed tidied up, no plates on the sink or in the drying rack, and the countertops looked shiny too. A pleasant sensation rubbed at the side of her heart, imagining how long that must have taken Izaac to achieve, and then her eyes landed on the table, and she barely processed the bags and the boxes pilling up all around it.

\- Before you ask, no. This wasn’t all me – Iza sounded amused, grabbing Jo’s favorite mug and popping it back on the microwave, letting it spin around inside of it.

Stepping closer to the table, he pointed to some simple blue bags, while reaching to a small one first.

\- Those are from your sister. So you gotta wait till she wakes up. In the meantime – he gestured for the normal looking paper bag he was holding. – You can see what I got you.

The good kind of anxiety coursed through her veins, the bag being promptly shoved into her arms as the microwave beeped in announcement that her coffee was warm again, and then that too was being handed to her, the steam warming up her face.

\- P-Please wait – she giggled, taking a quick sip of her coffee before setting it down. – I don’t wanna ruin your present. It feels kinda heavy.

And she wasn’t exaggerating. The sound of clacking porcelain reached her ears and it immediately concerned her that she could end up breaking Izaac’s present as soon as she grabbed it, so she sat down first, easily tearing through the staples that kept the bag closed. Peeking inside, the sight of two mugs greeted her, and just the fact that he had gotten her _two_ was already incredible. Her trembly hands reached for the both of them at the same time, the bag slipping to the floor, and her eyes widened just as she noticed how much better the present was.

\- Do you like it? – Izaac asked with a nervous smile, his arms crossed over his chest as he warmly watched her reaction.

Only the sound of his voice had the power to make her tear her eyes from the sight of Nova and Luna imprinted on the white mugs, her smile so wide it was already starting to hurt to maintain.

\- I love it – the porcelain clicked pleasantly against each other as she hugged the mugs to her chest, carefully setting them down on the table before getting up.

It was only at times like this that Izaac remembered just how strong Jo was, her chubby figure fooling everyone as long as her arms were covered. She easily lifted his body of the ground, spinning him around even if he squeaked in protest, and when she slowly set him back down, she still reached in for a kiss, lingering for longer than usual just to show him how happy she was. When she pulled away, Izaac looked a bit woozy, which quickly ripped a fit of giggles out of the birthday girl, but not even that seemed to erase the look on his eyes.

\- You okay there? – she said, already loosening her hold on him. – If I went too far-

\- No! – he rapidly clang to her, nuzzling into her chest.

She giggled again, just letting him do whatever he wanted, and slowly rubbed his back, enjoying their little moment.

\- Has... – she lowered her voice, keeping her eyes trained on the door. – Has Jake got me anything?

The mention of their shared partner had Izaac’s eyes shining, a smile itching into his lips.

\- Mhm! – he quickly leaned down, picking the supposedly empty bag off the ground, where the mugs had been, and reached inside, producing a small envelope out of it.

The sight of that had Jo feeling guilty in seconds, not having noticed such an important thing was inside, and gently moved to grab the newfound present, hesitating just a bit.

\- C-Can I open it right now?

\- Yea! – he was curious too, excited to see what Jake had spent their money on.

Jo nodded and used the tips of her fingers to slip the envelope open, curiously peeking inside and frowning when she saw what seemed like two small pieces of paper, her blind eyes struggling to read the tiny words imprinted on them without her glasses.

\- What do these say? – she asked, pointing the slips in Izaac’s direction.

The other leaned closer, his eyes scanning over the words, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

\- It’s two tickets to go see “Dear Evan Hansen”. On the 3rd.

Jo’s eyes widened, desperately trying to read what was on the tickets to confirm what he had just said.

\- Really?! But those are so expensive-

\- Ah, none of that. – he giggled nervously, rubbing her arm. – It’s uhm, he’s telling me it’s a date. So like, maybe don’t react like that.

Her cheeks bloomed red in a matter of seconds, not sure where to look or what to do with herself, her heart doing happy flips in her chest. For everyone’s safety, she slipped the tickets back inside the envelope, her hands already feeling extremely sweaty, and as a way to calm herself down, Jo reached for her coffee and took a big gulp out of it, feeling its warmth slowly but surely spreading through her.

\- So? – Izaac looked expectant, even if this matter didn’t directly involve him.

The woman took a bit to gather her emotions, fidgeting with her free hands as she quickly pressed a kiss to his forehead, just pretending for a second it was Jake there.

\- Y-Yes. I’d really like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jake is one of my partner's alters, if anyone got confused by that. We both have alters.

**Author's Note:**

> Before commenting, if you do, please note that english is not my first language. Thank you <3


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